Timepiece mounting means

ABSTRACT

A timepiece is releasably secured to a support surface by a fixture device comprising a pair of sheet materials, at least one of which has a multitude of hooking members over an active surface, which are adapted to mutually releasably adhere together when brought into contact. One piece of material is fixed to the rear face of the time-piece, and a plurality of second pieces of material with adhesive backings can be provided, at least one of which can be fixed to a watchband.

United States Patent [191 Jeanmonod Get. 9, 11973 TIMEPIECE MOUNTING MEANS [75] Inventor: Jacques Jeanmonod Boudry, Primary Examiner-George H. Miller, Jr.

Switzerland Attorney-Robert E. Burns et a1.

[73] Assignee: Heuer-Leonidas S.A., Bienne,

Switzerland 57] ABSTRACT [22] Filed: Feb. 17, 1972 [21] App] No 227 084 A timepiece is releasably secured to a support surface by a fixture device comprising a pair of sheet materials, at least one of which has a multitude of hooking [30] Foreign Application Priority Data members over an active surface, which are adapted to Feb. 18, I971 Switzerland 2371 71 mutually releasably adhere together when brought into contact. One piece of material is fixed to the rear 52 us. Cl. 58/88 1R, 58/88 w face of the time-piece, and a plurality of second pieces [51] Im. Cl. 604b, 37/00 of material with adhesive backings can be provided, at [58] Field of Search 58/88 R, 88 W, 88 SC, least one of which n be fix d t a wat h and.

9 Claims, 10 Drawing Figures [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,2l9,277

10/1940 Kaufmann 58/88 SC X TIMEPIECE MOUNTING MEANS This invention relates to the fixture of timepieces to support surfaces such that the timepieces, for example watches, can be fixed successively to different support surfaces.

A device of this character is already known, wherein a watch carries a magnetized member by means of least partially into and hook onto the other material.

For the sake of convenience, such materials adapted to form a fixture device will hereinafter be referred to as members.

According to the invention, there is provided a fixture device of the above defined type used as means for releasably securing a timepiece onto a supporting surface, in which a first member of the fixture device is fixed onto an outer surface of a timepiece casing, and a second member of the fixture device is adapted to be fixed onto a support surface.

Another aspect of the invention consists of a fixture device of the above defined type used as means for releasably securng a timepiece onto a watchband, in which a first member of the fixture device is adapted to be fixed onto an outer surface of a timepiece casing, and a second member of the fixture device is fixed onto a normally exposed surface of a watchband.

According to another aspect of the invention, a, timepeice comprises one of the members of a fixture device of the above defined type fixed onto an outer surface of the timepiece casing.

According to a further aspect of the invention, a watchband comprises one of the members of a fixture device of the above definedtype fixed onto a normally exposed surface of the watchband.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view showing the rear side of a watch;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the watch of FIG. I;

FIGS. 3 and 3A are respectively a side elevational view and a partly broken away perspective view of a member of a fixture device FIG. 4 is a perspective view, partly in side elevation, of a watchband;

.FIGS. 5A, 5B and 5C schematically show, on a greatly enlarged scale, three possible types of the protruding elements of one of the members of a fixture device; and

FIGS. 6A and .6B schematically show, on a greatly enlarged scale, two possible types of another member of a fixture device.

With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, one member 1 of a fixture or attaching device is cemented to the bottom of the rear face 2 of a stop-watch 3.

With reference to FIGS. 3 and 3A, the second member 4 of a fixture device is provided with an adhesive backing 6, by means of which it may be stuck onto a garment, a glove, the instrument panel of a motor vehicle, or any other suitable support surface. It may also be stuck directly to the normally exposed surface of a wrist-band 5, as shown in FIG. 4.

A fixture device comprising members l and 4 may be delivered with a watch, or separately. Thus, as delivered, it may comprise a wristband 5 to which a member 4 is secured on the normally exposed surface of the wristband, i.e., the surface exposed when worn on a wrist; several additional members 4 provided with selfadhesive backings, and a first member 1 also provided with a self-adhesive backing so that it may be stuck onto the rear face of a watch. Thus, in a very simple manner, a watch can be detachably secured to different support surfaces.

Examples of the two members 1 and 4 of the fixture device are schematically shown in FIGS. 5A, 5B and 5C, and FIGS. 6A and 6B respectively.

FIG. 5A shows a member formed by a textile support sheet 7 in which are inserted and distributed an array or multitude of locking elements in the form of nylon strands 8 protruding from one face of the sheet 7. Each strand 8 normally adopts the position shown in the left hand part of the Figure, forming a substantially closed loop.

FIG. 5B shows a similar member, but in which the two ends of each strand 9 protruding from a support sheet 10 are inturned and curve over in a hook-line manner to increase the locking action of the loops.

The protruding locking elements of the member shown in FIG. 5C are formed by locking elements or bodies 10' of a suitable synthetic plastic material formed with barbs Ill, these bodies 10 being pierced through and protruding from a support sheet 112.

The cooperating locking elements or members shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B each comprise a looped pile l2, woven into and protruding from a textile support sheet 113 and distributed throughout the shaft 13 to define an array of flexible loops. These members could alternatively be formed of various fabrics with relatively loose stitches or meshes, or other pile fabrics such as imitation Astrakhan fur.

Various forms of such cooperating members are at present available under the Registered Trade Mark VELClRO.

When two cooperating members are brought together, the locking elements protruding from one member penetrate at least partially into the other member and become hooked onto the other member. For example, the strands 8 shown in FIG. 5A, when pressed lightly against a member such as shown in FIG. 6A, are deformed as indicated in the right hand part of FIG. 5A, allowing loops of the pile 12 to move between the separated branches of each strand h, then snap back to their original looped position. The number of strands 8 and the amount of pile 112 are such that a slight pressure is sufficient to apply the members together to interlock with one another, but a relatively large effort must be made to release the members.

It is understood that the two members of the fixture device could be identical, both comprising a multitude of protruding elements and means for hooking or otherwise interengaging with the elements of the other member.

The use of the fixture device proposed by the invention is particularly advantageous for stop watches and chronometers since it facilitates the releasable placing of the timepiece at any particular location selected by the user for convenient actuation of buttons, for example, and for ease of observation. However, the invention can also be applied, for example, to dress watches, since it facilitates the interchange of various forms of watch cases on various styles of bracelets.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination; a timepiece; a support member for supporting thereon said timepiece; and attaching means for releasably attaching said timepiece on said support member, said attaching means comprising a first member secured to an exterior surface of said timepiece and having distributed throughout a surface portion thereof a first array of locking elements which project outwardly from said first member in a direction away from said timepiece, and a second member secured to an exterior surface of said support member and having distributed throughout a surface portion thereof a second array of locking elements which project outwardly from said second member in a direction away from said support member and releasably engageable with said first array of locking elements in response to pressing together of said first and second members to effect releasable locking of said first member to said second member thereby releasably attaching said timepiece on said support member.

2. A combination according to claim 1, wherein one of said first and second arrays of locking elements comprises an array of locking elements each pierced through one of said first and second members and having barbs thereon; and the other of said first and second arrays of locking elements comprises an array of loops secured to the other of said first and second members and engageable with said barbs to effect releasable locking of said first member to said second member.

3. A combination according to claim 1; wherein said support member comprises a watchband.

4. A combination according to claim 1; including an adhesive backing member adhereing at least one of said first and second members to its respective timepiece and support member.

5. A combination according to claim 1; wherein said first and second arrays of locking elements each comprise an array of flexible loops releasably interlocking with the flexible loops of the other array when said first and second members are pressed together.

6. A combination according to claim 1, wherein one of said first and second arrays of locking elements comprises one array of substantially closed but open flexible loops; and the other of said first and second arrays of locking elements comprises another array of completely closed flexible loops cooperative with said one array of loops when the two arrays of loops are pressed together to effect releasable interlocking of said substantially closed but open flexible loops with said completely closed flexible loops.

7. A combination according to claim 6; wherein said another array of loops comprises strands of material sewn into one of said first and second members to define said array of closed loops.

8. A combination according to claim 6; wherein said one array of loops comprises an array of loops each having normally inturned end portions to increase the locking action of said loops.

9. A combination according to claim 8; wherein said another array of loops comprises strands of material sewn into one of said first and second members to define said array of closed loops. 

1. In combination: a timepiece; a support member for supporting thereon said timepiece; and attaching means for releasably attaching said timepiece on said suPport member, said attaching means comprising a first member secured to an exterior surface of said timepiece and having distributed throughout a surface portion thereof a first array of locking elements which project outwardly from said first member in a direction away from said timepiece, and a second member secured to an exterior surface of said support member and having distributed throughout a surface portion thereof a second array of locking elements which project outwardly from said second member in a direction away from said support member and releasably engageable with said first array of locking elements in response to pressing together of said first and second members to effect releasable locking of said first member to said second member thereby releasably attaching said timepiece on said support member.
 2. A combination according to claim 1; wherein one of said first and second arrays of locking elements comprises an array of locking elements each pierced through one of said first and second members and having barbs thereon; and the other of said first and second arrays of locking elements comprises an array of loops secured to the other of said first and second members and engageable with said barbs to effect releasable locking of said first member to said second member.
 3. A combination according to claim 1; wherein said support member comprises a watchband.
 4. A combination according to claim 1; including an adhesive backing member adhereing at least one of said first and second members to its respective timepiece and support member.
 5. A combination according to claim 1; wherein said first and second arrays of locking elements each comprise an array of flexible loops releasably interlocking with the flexible loops of the other array when said first and second members are pressed together.
 6. A combination according to claim 1; wherein one of said first and second arrays of locking elements comprises one array of substantially closed but open flexible loops; and the other of said first and second arrays of locking elements comprises another array of completely closed flexible loops cooperative with said one array of loops when the two arrays of loops are pressed together to effect releasable interlocking of said substantially closed but open flexible loops with said completely closed flexible loops.
 7. A combination according to claim 6; wherein said another array of loops comprises strands of material sewn into one of said first and second members to define said array of closed loops.
 8. A combination according to claim 6; wherein said one array of loops comprises an array of loops each having normally inturned end portions to increase the locking action of said loops.
 9. A combination according to claim 8; wherein said another array of loops comprises strands of material sewn into one of said first and second members to define said array of closed loops. 